Typically, bass drums are a component of drum kit systems and are placed near the floor with the drum head facing the drummer. Drum kits typically also include several tom-tom drums, usually smaller than the bass drum placed above the bass drum with the drum face upward. A snare drum, cymbals and other accessories may also be used and placed around the bass drum and toms.
In typical bass drums, one or two drum hoops are employed to engage the drum head(s) to hold the drum head in tension across drum shell. Commonly drum hoops are held in place with tensioners that apply a force on the drum hoop parallel to the axis of the drum hoop and drum shell.
The drum hoops convert the point forces applied by tensioners, usually 6 or 8 spread around the circumference of the drum hoop, into a substantially uniform pressure about the periphery of the drum shell. By maintaining substantially uniform pressure the tension in the drum head is substantially uniform. Uniform tension is desirably as it leads to good tone in the drum head when struck.
With a drum hoop, when a radial force is applied to the bass drum or to the drum hoop, the drum and drum hoop can distort or flatten. This change in shape can affect the tension in the drum head and therefore the tone of the drum.
Typically, a bass drum supports the tom-tom drums using a support arm that is attached directly to the drum shell of the bass drum. Similarly, support feet can be attached to the drum shell of the drum to provide the bass drum with support and to prevent the drum from rolling. By placing weight, in the form of the tom-tom drums on the drum shell of the bass drum, these designs squeeze the bass drum and tend to affect the sound of the bass drum. Similarly, the pressure from the support feet on the drum shell of the bass drum can distort the sound of the bass drum.
In some arrangements, the tom-tom drums are supported above the bass drum using a stand support structure separate and apart from the bass drum. While not placing weight on the bass drum, this design has the potential for the tom-tom drums and bass drum to separate as they are struck by the drummer. Further, it may be difficult for the tom-tom drums to be placed directly over the bass-drum if a separate support structure has to be used.
It would be advantageous to have a means for supporting one or more percussive instruments above a bass drum without applying weight or pressure to the shell of the bass drum.